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Nurse urges assembly to prioritize canine unit for overdose response and enforcement
Summary
A Petersburg nurse and mother spoke in support of a proposed canine unit to help address addiction-related incidents and emergency responses, urging the assembly to move forward while funding remains feasible.
Laura Holder, a Petersburg nurse and manager of the home health department, urged the assembly Feb. 18 to prioritize a proposed canine unit she said could be lifesaving for the community.
Holder told the assembly she has worked in health care for more than a decade and has seen the local effects of addiction. She described the canine-unit proposal as “fantastic,” said community members had offered fundraising ideas to cover annual maintenance costs, and warned that delay could make procurement more expensive. “If we do have this vehicle coming and this is a time when we could spend some money to get a canine appropriate vehicle, I would hate to see this wait and become financially less feasible later,” she said.
Holder emphasized the proposal’s potential public-health benefits and said multiple community members had offered to raise money to help cover recurring costs. She said she spoke as a parent and health-care provider and not as a hospital representative. The assembly did not take formal action on the canine-unit request at the meeting; staff previously indicated the proposal could be revisited.
Why it matters Holder framed the unit as a public-health and public-safety measure that could assist first responders and reduce harm related to substance use; she asked the assembly to consider timing and funding so the opportunity is not lost.
